Friday, January 28, 2011

Alex Johnson climbed The Mandala (v12) this afternoon. She did the problem from the high-start that is standard now (off pads with right hand in the undercling). This follows pretty much the same sequence used by Chris Sharma on the FA in 2000, beginning with a huge burly span from the undercling and some big pulls on small but positive crimps. Unlike Sharma, she only cut her feet near the top.

Hey Ty: The original start is lower--either off the ground, or by using as FEW pads as necessary to get the fingers in the first good crimp. Very few people want to do the prow that way any more, as it adds a bit of difficulty. I have to admit I think this is a shame. But there are many gray areas when it comes to climbing.

Wills,No disrespect, but I must quote a previous post on this very blog:

"It is worth pointing out, for the purists out there, that many people are now starting The Mandala by beginning with their right hand in the undercling and their left on the crimp above (as you would arrive from the above-mentioned version of the sit), though doing so requires a big boost up, and is not the original problem--which begins with the right hand on the crimp as needed when stepping off the ground. It is strange to see 6-foot-plus climbers standing on a huge stack of pads to bring the starting holds down to waist level, rather than showing respect and doing all the moves of the climb (as Sharma did originally) before claiming an ascent."

Do you think it fair, then, to reconsider Alex's ascent to be other than The Mandala?

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